You Only Fall Once
by Hazelmist
Summary: “I believe that you only truly love once,” Hermione said, turning to him. “One day you find that person, your true love, the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, that one person that you simply can’t live without, and that’s love.HHR


**Title** : You Only Fall Once

**Author:** Hazelmist/Summerskies

**Ship** : Harry/Hermione, Ron/Luna and Ginny/Neville

**Author's Note:** Here's another for the H/HR fans that I found while cleaning out my files.

The wedding was over. The ridiculously happy couple had left more than an hour ago and the band was packing up. Most of the guests had departed but the Weasley family and a few close friends remained.

Among these remaining guests were Hermione and Luna, who came into the kitchen commanding a neat line of hovering plates and silverware with their wands. They loaded the last of the utensils into the sink and then headed outside.

"Thanks for your help dears." Mrs. Weasley smiled gratefully at the two young women before turning back to her son Bill. She was attempting to tell her son that she wanted grandkids in a most indiscreet manner.

Luna hummed the wedding march, looking deliriously happy. Hermione on the other hand, though she chuckled when Bill finally understood what his mother had been implying, looked tired and sad. The sounds of laughter could be heard coming from the only table remaining, where a group of young people sat with the last of the drinks. The candle in the center of their table revealed the faces of Ron, Ginny, Neville and Harry.

"It's all over," she whispered as they neared the table.

"For now, but there will always be a next one," Luna stared dreamily at Ron Weasley as if she had her own ideas as to who would be next. She twirled on her toes and landed in Ron's lap. Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down next to a very amused Harry Potter.

"Hullo love," Ron slurred, wrapping an arm clumsily around her waist.

Luna giggled and put her arms around his neck.

"How abou - we get outta heh?" he whispered suggestively in her ear, though the whole table could hear him.

Luna squeaked in reply as he tossed her over his shoulder and left in search of somewhere more private. Hermione heard someone fall and winced, but Luna giggled loudly letting them all know that they didn't need any help.

"I think he's drunk!" Ginny giggled.

"I never would've guessed," Harry responded dryly as they all watched as Ginny, who was clearly almost as inebriated as her brother, tried to pour herself yet another glass of champagne. The glass slipped from her fingers shattering on the table. Ginny shrieked and dropped the bottle as well, soaking the tablecloth.

"Oh! I made a mess!" she gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth.

Hermione sprung into action and had it all cleaned up with a flick of her wand. Neville seized the bottle, hiding it beneath the table before Ginny could reach for it again.

"I think you've had enough to drink," he said softly to Ginny, rubbing her back. Ginny couldn't fight with his gentle words and calm demeanor in her drunken state and was easily subdued.

"I'll take you back to your flat," Hermione offered. She started to get up from the table, but Harry placed a firm hand on her shoulder, keeping her in the chair.

"I'm sure Neville wouldn't mind taking her home." Harry smiled at Neville who immediately went a shade of pink, despite Ginny Weasley's inability to understand what was going on at the moment. Neville raised his eyebrows though, as if there was something more to this suggestion than just an opportunity for him to escort his longtime fancy home.

"Are you trying to get rid of me Harry? Is Hermione's company that much better than mine?" Neville asked with a mischievous grin.

"Take her home Neville or I'll tell Ron," Harry threatened his friend. Neville shot Harry a glare, but immediately attended to the intoxicated girl.

"Dance with me Neville!" Ginny outstretched her arms, waggling her fingers.

"Not right now Ginny," Neville said gently helping her to her feet. Ginny swayed on the spot, unable to stand on her own. She fell forward and Neville caught her swiftly, nearly falling over himself.

"But I like dancing!" she whined.

"We'll dance later," Neville assured her as he gingerly picked her up as if she were a child.

"Promise?" Ginny asked softly, resting her head on his chest.

"I promise," Neville whispered as they disappeared with a POP!

Hermione and Harry were alone now. The silence settled in between them like a misty fog, broken only by the chirping crickets and the sound of someone laughing inside the Burrow. Hermione looked out across the backyard where a few overturned chairs and some trash still littered the lawn.

"You know, I could've taken her home Harry. Neville didn't have to leave," she said softly without looking at him.

"Neville wanted to leave Hermione," Harry chuckled because they both knew that Neville was crazy about Ginny.

"He needs to tell her," Hermione said idly playing with her necklace. "Ginny has no idea how he feels about her and she never will unless he says something."

"So says the girl who took seven years to tell her best friend that she loved him." Harry grinned. Hermione whipped around and hit his arm. Harry laughed, grabbing her hand in his.

"Shut up! That was different!" Hermione protested.

"How so?" Harry asked, suddenly serious.

Hermione stared at their entwined hands and then looked up into his face. The laughter was gone from his beautiful emerald eyes and the smile had disappeared from his boyish face.

"I never loved Ron," she finally whispered.

"Never?" Harry asked softly.

"Never." She tugged her hand gently from his, turning to look out across the lawn again.

She was toying with her necklace again, the one that Ron had given her for birthday four years ago. Actually it had been Harry who had picked it out and paid for it because Ron had forgotten about her birthday, just like he did every year. But Harry, Harry always remembered for some odd reason. Harry and forgotten birthdays had been two of the main things that had alerted both Ron and Hermione to the fact that a romantic relationship would never work for them. They'd tried, back during the war, and for a year or two afterwards, but in the end they went back to being just friends.

"I believe that you only truly love once," Hermione said, turning to him. "One day you find that person, your true love, the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, that one person that you simply can't live without, and that's it, that's love."

"So… have you found that person yet?" Harry asked curiously.

Hermione paused, looking up at the night sky where the stars smiled down upon her. If only it was just a simple yes or no answer, but it was so much more complex. Instead of answering the question, she laughed.

"I have to get home, it's nearly two in the morning!" she exclaimed, grabbing her shoes and getting up from the table.

"I'll take you," he offered, standing.

"Harry, you don't have to do that," she protested politely.

Harry stuck out his arm, and Hermione automatically took it. Seconds later she felt the familiar sensation of apparition, "side-along". They apparated just outside of her flat.

"That wasn't necessary Harry!" Hermione poked him with her shoe. "I'm twenty four years old and I'm perfectly capable of seeing myself home!"

"I know that Hermione but I can't help but worry about you." Harry leaned against the wall, watching as she fumbled with her keys.

"I can take care of myself!" she fumed as another key failed to fit into the key hole.

"I know Hermione, I know that better than anyone else. You're smart, you're independent, you're brave, and I know you can take care of yourself, but I – I care about you – a lot."

Hermione's hands were shaking so bad that she practically dropped the keys.

"Here." Harry gently took the keys from her, found the right key almost instantly, and stuffed it in the door. He opened it and held the door for her. Hermione glared at him and stormed past him inside.

"Can I come in?" he asked, hesitating in the doorway.

"Mind as well, since you had no trouble letting yourself in!" Hermione huffed, tossing her shoes onto the couch and disappearing into the kitchen.

Harry stepped over the threshold, shutting the door quietly behind him. He followed her into the kitchen and found her putting a kettle on the stove.

"Do you want tea?" she asked, setting out two tea cups.

"No, I'm only staying for a minute," Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Hermione lifted her head, surprised and perhaps a little disappointed.

"I'll put one out for you anyway," she decided. "Sit down," she told him before moving over to the kitchen sink to wash the dishes that she'd left there in her haste to make the wedding.

While she washed them, she talked, about what, she wasn't quite sure. Even though she saw Harry at least twice a week, for some odd reason she found the need to make small talk. Harry was being strangely quiet so she told him about how one of her co-workers was engaged to Seamus Finnegan even though she'd already told him this last weekend.

Hermione had no idea how beautiful she looked under the soft glare of the light over the sink. She was wearing a lavender gown, similar to the one she'd worn to the Yule Ball so many years ago. It fit her nicely, showing off the slim hour glass figure that too often she tried to hide. Her hair was pulled back again in an elegant knot but the brown curls were coming loose. Hermione was having trouble keeping them out of her eyes. As she turned off the tap and tucked the persistent locks behind her ears, she felt someone's eyes upon her.

Hermione turned around and came within inches of Harry's face. He had snuck up behind her while she'd been busy with the dishes, and had been standing there for Merlin only knows how long.

"What's the matter?" she asked, alarmed. There was something different about the way that he was staring at her. It was both frightening and satisfying.

Harry opened his mouth, but a loud whistle from the tea kettle interrupted whatever he was planning on saying.

"The tea's done," he said with a sheepish smile. He fled, busying himself with the tea. Hermione frowned, wondering about his strange behavior, but took a seat and accepted the cup of tea that he finally handed to her.

"You know, you never answered my question Hermione." Harry sat down in front of her, taking a sip from his cup.

"What question?" Hermione asked frowning. Harry hadn't said a word to her since he'd said that he'd only be staying for a minute.

"Have you found your true love yet?"

Hermione choked on her tea.

"Well?" Harry raised his eyebrows, waiting patiently.

Hermione felt her cheeks flush as they always did when someone asked why a beautiful, successful, young woman like herself was still single and hadn't had a boyfriend since Ron. There was a simple answer to that, but at the same time it was so complicated.

"I don't know Harry, I honestly don't know," she sighed. Dropping her chin into her hand, she watched as her tea swirled around in the porcelain cup.

"Have you found yours yet?" she asked jokingly.

"That's why I came over here," Harry replied.

Hermione's head shot up. Harry silently studied his hands, and Hermione wondered if perhaps she'd just imagined Harry's reply for now he seemed to be acting as if he hadn't heard the question at all.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you still in love with Ron?"

"Harry I already told you, I never loved Ron more than a brother," Hermione chuckled, giving him a curious look.

"How do you know that?" Harry continued with his interrogation and Hermione was starting to feel uncomfortable under his penetrating gaze.

"Because Ron's not the one I love!" Hermione snapped.

"Why'd you break up with him?"

"YOU!" she shouted. "I broke up with Ron because I love _you_!"

The words hung between them and refused to go away. Slowly it sunk in.

"Oh!" she gasped.

Hermione pressed a hand to her mouth realizing what she had finally concluded and who had been there to hear her revelation. She looked at him. He was staring at her with the strangest look on his face. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't form the words to twist it into a lie and make everything okay again. She simply couldn't take it back, it was there and it wouldn't go away.

She was in love with him.

Hermione buried her head in her hands, hoping that he would just walk out and get it over with. It was obvious that he understood what she had said, wasn't this what he had been waiting to hear? Was he satisfied now that she had just sold him her heart and he could do with it what he pleased? Why couldn't he just hurry up and tell her that her love was unrequited? Why wouldn't he leave?

"Well, aren't you going to say something?" Her voice quivered as she dropped her hands and faced Harry.

"I'm sorry Hermione – I - "

"Please leave," Hermione begged weakly.

The painful realization, the heart breaking rejection and the loss of one of her closest friends was too much for poor Hermione. She wanted him to go and she wanted him to go now. But Harry was not unkind and of course he tried to do it nicely, which only made the cuts deeper.

"Go away Harry!" She could feel the tears building behind her eyes, as a large lump formed in her throat. No, she couldn't let him see her cry. He had to get out of here.

"Please, just go," she cried, recoiling when he tried again to touch her.

"I can't," he whispered, taking her into his arms. She crumbled. Clinging to him, she breathed in the familiar scent, the mysterious smell that she'd found in Professor Slughorn's cauldron on that day so many years before. Her hands tangled in his hair and she felt his hands rubbing her back and smoothing her hair. She knew she had too but she couldn't let go of him.

"Why?" she asked, the tears streaming freely down her face as she looked up at him, the only man she truly loved. "Why won't you leave?"

Harry took her face in his hands and kissed her hard. It was short, much too short for Hermione's liking. But it was a taste of what was waiting and what she had always secretly desired. Dazed, she leaned against his chest, lifting a trembling hand to her sensitive lips.

"I can't leave you Hermione - because – I – I love you," he stammered.

Hermione smiled and kissed him tenderly.

"I love you too Harry," she whispered, resting her forehead against his.

The two of them laughed softly and then slowly leaned in for another kiss.

**A/N: Just another piece I found, I hope all the H/Hr fans enjoyed it.**


End file.
